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Topic: Snakes in my hive eating larva (Read 4458 times)

Last summer just prior to the fall flow I inspected my hives to find no new larva. I was stumped. What is the chance that all of my queens are dead. After further inspection I found that snakes were getting into the hives and eating the larva. Has anyone seen this before? Any ideas on how to keep out snakes? Needless to say it was not a good producing year for me. I did manage to save the hives but i was not able to pull any honey. i have asked other local bee keepers in the area and they have never heard of such a thing.

jgerlach. That sounds horrible. How do you know for sure that they are snakes? Did you see them? What type. We can have a problem like that with critters too. Racoons, skunks, mice. It can go on and on.

For mice control we put hardware mesh over the entrance so that the mice cannot get in. I bet that would work if you put it on for snake control. Hope you have good luck, those creepy things that like to bother our bees. I am so glad that you were able to save your hives. You have the best of a great day. Cindi

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There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold. The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold. The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee. Robert Service

I live in Southern Maine. I am going to have my wife identify the snake for me. I have some skins that were shed but next time i catch one I'll identify it. I did see them exiting the hive. Will keeping enterance reducers on all season have anegative effect? thanks for the fast reply.

I love snake skins. I have an huge snake skin from an old snake that used to baske in the morning sun before I would go up to a greenhouse that I had a little bit higher on my property. It would get sun the moment the sun came up (the greenhouse in a slightly lower elevation was nice to work in the in the morning because it didn't get full sun til about 11:00 A.M., then I would pretty much be done my work in that greenhouse, because after 11:00 it was too hot). We have gardner snakes here.

When we took down this higher elevation greenhouse, the poor old snake probably went somewhere else to bask. I miss him.

I love this old snakeskin, it hangs on some masks that we got from Fiji when we visited there many years ago. I have weird stuff that I hang on my bedroom wall like that, but man what an interesting room it is. Best of a best day. Cindi

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There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold. The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold. The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee. Robert Service

my thoughts exactly, plus, how can it get between the frames, ok, i think the snake just might get throuh the 8mm spaces but then to curve her head to get it into cells and if the snake is so small it can't have such a tough skin, bees would sting it, right?

Those are good questions I have asked myself. All i know is remove the snake and the larva comes back until the next snake shows up. Could the presence of the snake couse the queen to stop laying? Could the snake simply be using the hive as a warm place to sleep and the queen does not like the visitor. i am puzzeled. :?

this post should be in the Dark Side Of The Moon Forum, never heard or even thought of a snake eating larve, must be a very, very, very small snake!!!!! use the 1/4 hardware cloth, that will stop them from entering the hive anyway.

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THAT's ME TO THE LEFT JUST 5 YEARS FROM NOW!!!!!!!!

Never be afraid to try something new. Amateurs built the ark, Professionals built the Titanic

I've had snakes around my hives which are on plastic milk crates. No idea what they are except mean. Poked at one with a stick and it struck at the stick. Poked it again and it struck at my shoe. Don't know if they are attracted to the area or if it is just natural distribution but I always check for them before doing anything.